After five years on the market, the Michelin Pilot Super Sport has been replaced. Meet the new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S.

Sadly Michelin have chosen to drop the much loved "Super Sport" branding in favour of the making the product family more uniform. The "4 S" name could mislead you into thinking this tyre has all-season (or "four season") capabilities, but rest assured the new 4S is just as focused as the Michelin Pilot Super Sport was.

The product launch will take place in January 2017 as the tyre becomes available on the replacement market, and you can be sure we'll be the first to drive on the new Pilot Sport 4S as we're extremely excited about the replacement for one of our favourite tyres. 

For now, here's the press release, with some rather interesting comparisons made by the independent test organisation TUV.

Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S - Press Release

Designed for sports cars and high performance saloons, the MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S offers unparalleled driving pleasure thanks to its exceptional steering precision and directional stability. It provides maximum performance and safety on all surfaces due to its optimized tread footprint which grips the road in all situations, even the most extreme.

The MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S also displays excellent braking performance on both dry and wet surfaces, thanks to the use of ‘bi-compound technology’. The outer part of the tread uses a new hybrid compound that promotes grip on dry ground while the inner part uses a new compound with silica and functional elastomers which allows the tyre to offer consistent grip on wet ground. This high performance on dry and wet surfaces, often conflicting characteristics in the world of super sports tyres, here have advanced together.

Dry Braking

The new MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S takes only 33.66 meters (110.43 feet) to brake from 62 mph to a complete stop, when the best of its direct competitors takes nearly a meter more (+0.83 m, 2.77 feet).

Wet Braking

On a wet track 27.73 meters (90.98 feet) is enough to brake from 50 mph to 0. This shows it once again as the best, almost 2.50 m (+8.20 feet) shorter than the worst performer.

Lap Time

On a 2.60 km (1.62 mile) circuit, the MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S proved to be between 0.40 seconds and 1.39 seconds faster per lap. It’s almost a second quicker on average, over this relatively short distance. One second seems insignificant; however the driving experience will be completely different.

Longevity

Wear tests conducted by the Dekra Test Center demonstrated that the new MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S has the best longevity in its class, and it was the only tyre to break the 50,000 km (31,068 miles) barrier.

The MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S is also among the first tyres in this category to score an A rating on the European labelling scale (19 inch tyre) in braking distance on wet surfaces. This label is intended to inform tyre buyers of the performance of the tyres they are planning to buy and also gives them information on the energy efficiency of the tyre and road noise level. The MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S also passes a new milestone in terms of reducing road noise, while providing good levels of driving comfort.

The Passion, On Road and Track

Michelin is involved in several motor sport disciplines worldwide and uses this competition as a laboratory for development of future tyre technologies, which are then used in the development of its production tyres. Data collected during racing, mostly from ‘confidential’ tyre technologies or rubber compound recipes, enable Michelin’s engineers to validate their findings. The MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S, which is set to be one of the most successful sports tyres ever designed by Michelin for the general public, uses construction methods and materials directly developed in competitions such as the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and its flagship event the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, and the WRC.

Designed To Equip the Most Distinguished Sports Cars

Michelin is working hand in hand with the world’s leading car manufacturers to provide the most suitable tyres to complement the performance of their most exclusive models. Thus, the MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S has been developed to satisfy the owners of cars from manufacturers including BMW M, Ferrari, Ford, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche.

Velvet-Like Sidewalls and Rim Protectors

Like all of Michelin’s high-end tyres, the MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S uses Michelin Premium Touch Technology® to enhance the appearance of the sidewall design. This is a sign of the recognition and esteem in which these tyres are held in the exclusive automotive world. Moreover, while the vast majority of sports cars are equipped with larger diameter wheels and tyres with low profile sidewalls, the MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S has a practical and aesthetic rim protector that will, in many cases, avoid contact between the rim and the curb.

The new MICHELIN PILOT SPORT 4 S will be available from January 2017 in Europe and from early March in the United States. It will be available in in 19 and 20 inch diameters, covering 92% of the market.

19" PS4S Launch Sizes

225/35 ZR19 88 (Y) XL

225/40 ZR19 93 (Y) XL

225/45 ZR19 96 (Y) XL

235/35 ZR19 91 (Y) XL

235/40 ZR19 96 (Y) XL

245/30 ZR19 89 (Y) XL

245/35 ZR19 93 (Y) XL

255/30 ZR19 91 (Y) XL

255/35 ZR19 96 (Y) XL

265/30 ZR19 93 (Y) XL

265/35 ZR19 98 (Y) XL

265/45 ZR19 105 (Y) XL

275/30 ZR19 96 (Y) XL

275/35 ZR19 100 (Y) XL

285/35 ZR19 103 (Y) XL

295/30 ZR19 100 (Y) XL

295/40 ZR19 108 (Y) XL

305/30 ZR19 102 (Y) XL

325/30 ZR19 105 (Y) XL

20" PS4S Launch Sizes

235/35 ZR20 92 (Y) XL

235/45 ZR20 100 (Y) XL

245/30 ZR20 90 (Y) XL

245/35 ZR20 95 (Y) XL

245/40 ZR20 99 (Y) XL

255/35 ZR20 97 (Y) XL

255/40 ZR20 101 (Y) XL

255/45 ZR20 105 (Y) XL

265/30 ZR20 94 (Y) XL

265/35 ZR20 95 (Y) XL

275/30 ZR20 97 (Y) XL

275/35 ZR20 102 (Y) XL

275/40 ZR20 106 (Y) XL

285/30 ZR20 99 (Y) XL

285/35 ZR20 104 (Y) XL

295/30 ZR20 101 (Y) XL

305/30 ZR20 103 (Y) XL

315/35 ZR20 110 (Y) XL

345/30 ZR20 106 (Y)